Court Square Dentistry
Recently I decided it was time to go to the Dentist. Let's not get into the details of my last visit, but it had been a while. All my previous Dentist Offices were in rural areas. Now that I live in New York City, it was time for a different kind of dental experience. A quick online search revealed an office walking distance from my apartment. The walk was the first major difference between my previous Dentist appointments; I’m used to a making a 30 to 45 minute drive to the dentist. Court Square Dentistry, around the corner from you apartment, became my new practice. I was able to schedule an appointment for the next day, online. When I walked in the front door I was surprised by the beautify interior design. Yazman, the young lady at the front desk, greeted me by name. She gave me a remote, pointed to the TV displaying Netflix, and told me to put something on while I waited a few minutes. The dental assistant retrieved me from the waiting room shortly after I sunk into the couch. Feeling like I was in my living room, I was slightly disappointed to be leaving. However, once the assistant seated me in the operating room, I was given another remote to control the TV mounted on the wall in front of me. Minutes later, Dr. Ian Mapes performed my cleaning. It was rather impressive compared to cleaning I'd received at other practices. He actually did the cleaning, not the assistant. His assistant, assisted. She stood on the other side of me wiping his tools clean, handing him what he needed, and spraying water in the areas he was working. I felt like the racecar when the pit crew is changing the tires and refueling. Despite Dr. Mapes operating speed, nothing about the experience felt rushed. Before and after the cleaning Dr. Mapes casually spoke with me about treatments he would do and treatments I should consider.
Dr. Ian Mapes. Picture: zocdoc.com
Once he was done, I had a brief discussion with the receptionist and left. I did not time the experience, but I'd guess that I spent a total of 40 minutes in Court Square Dentistry. The previous practices I used required at least a half-day commitment. Maybe it's because everything in New York City is done with a sense of urgency. I choose this dental practice over any of my previous ones whether I'm in New York or not. Less time at the dentist office is a good time.
When I think about how Court Square Dentistry was able to operate so efficiently many ideas come to mind. I've spent time in the manufacturing industry. The process at Court Square Dentistry reminded me of lean-manufacturing techniques I've learned and put into practice. The speed of the process was important to me as a patient, but so was the tranquility of the process. The hassle-free part of the experience started as soon as I booked the appointment.
The service industry depends on quality appointment management to run efficiently for employees and clients. Appointment books with defined sections for information (time, date, name, notes, etc.) help companies stay organized. Appointment management software hit the market, and it revolutionized the way companies manage appointments with clients. This software is only used by the company, and not the client. Next, web-based appointment management software hit the market. This software revolutionized appointment management for the client as well as the company.
Appointment management is especially important in the Medical Field. Patients can often only access medical services through appointments; walk-in service is very uncommon. Here are some of the risks of poor appointment management software:
- Good doctors will go unnoticed if the practice is administratively disorganized
- Exhausting/frustrating wait times for patients
- Doctor to Patient relationships can suffer
Appointment books can be difficult to keep organized. Often, multiple receptionists would fill out appointments in one book; some were more diligent than others. Software inherently standardizes the process by requiring certain fields to be filled out correctly before the user is allowed to advance.
Yazman, the Office Manager at Court Square Dentistry, uses web based appointment management software daily. She says the most difficult part of managing customer appointments is the initial appointment. She is required to collect a lot of information from patients, such as medical history and insurance. Yazman noted that patients often select different services than the services they would like rendered. Patients often confuse “consultation” for “check-up,” when selecting service. I have to admit I made the exact mistake Yazman noted. In retrospect I realized that the first option in the list of appointment types on the web based software was “consultation.” I should have read through all the options before making a selection. However, Yazman claims this is a common mistake. The software could be more user-friendly by asking if the patient would like a routine check-up. If the patient answers “No,” then provide a list of other appointment types.
Yazman believes one of the biggest benefits of web based appointment management is a streamlined process of information collection. Without personally interacting with patients she receives their personal information, medical history, insurance information, and more. There is no paperwork to fill out on the day of the appointment, and any problems can be addressed before the day of the appointment. Yazman went on to discuss the major benefits to the patients. They are able to schedule appointments during non-business hours. It can be difficult to carve out time during the workweek to schedule an appointment. Patients are able to reschedule appointments with out calling the office directly. The final benefit Yazman mentioned was insurance plans can be checked for acceptance before scheduling the appointment, and without contacting a representative.
There can be disappointing features to web-based appointment management software. Yazman reflected on a previous version of the software used at her practice, saying it was more user-friendly. She expressed her frustration with the software developers for implementing an update that did not improve her user experience. I have worked for companies that used in-house software for various things like inventory and supply-chain management. Even though I worked for the same company as the developers, I had difficulties communicating with the software development team about improvements. Yazman's disappointment is completely justified. Software developers have got to provide avenues for user feedback, and take that information seriously. User feedback is a goldmine of information for software developers because a positive user experience gives incredible value to any type of software.
There will always be room for improvements in appointment management. Web-based software has made major breakthroughs for the service industry. Companies like Court Square Dentistry are taking advantage of these tools to create a better, more efficient, experience for their employees and clients.